It was one of the most humiliating moments of my life. It was supposed to be private here, but I’d been caught sunbathing nude.

The hot cowboy got a much better look at me than I got at him, but it didn’t matter anyway. He was off-limits. I’d just met my stepbrother after ten years of avoiding the hateful brat. During which, I guess we both grew up.

The voice startled me from a sound sleep and my eyes flew open to reveal what I at first thought was a vision straight out of my book. From my position, lying on my back, he looked too tall to be real, and the tight-fitting jeans, plaid Western shirt, and Stetson hat did nothing to dispel that thought. The expression on his face puzzled me at first. A wide grin revealed perfect teeth and belied the words he’d spoken.

I started to answer when I noticed his eyes flick from my face to my—oh, my God! My chest. My bare boobs. What the hell? I crossed my arms over myself and sat up in one motion. Looking around wildly for my shirt, I heard him speak.

“Looking for this?”

I hadn’t answered his accusation of trespassing, but I had plenty to say about him holding my shirt out of my reach. I wanted to cover way too much quivering flesh A-S-A-P. Thank God my lower half wasn’t naked. That would have been too much. Literally.

“Give me that, you bastard!” As I spoke, I lifted my face to glare at him. With a cocky grin, he tossed my shirt to me, but didn’t look away. “You could at least turn your back while I put this on.”

When he didn’t, I snarled, “You’re no gentleman.”

“Didn’t say I was,” was his laconic reply.

When he still didn’t turn away, I had no choice but to let one arm move to retrieve the shirt, and then to expose my boobs to his gaze again as I lifted my arms to pull the shirt over my head. Although I was covered, it wasn’t much better as the shirt was a bit too small, and in my haste to cover myself, I’d skipped the bra. A quick glance downward made me groan. In the now-chilly air under the shade of a tree, my traitorous nipples were in full evidence under the thin shirt. As was my belly. I sucked it in.

I was at a severe disadvantage in my sitting position on the ground, so I stood to look him in the eye. It wasn’t usually a problem for me to look a man in the eye, at my five-eleven height. Nevertheless, I had to look up several inches to meet his. “I’m not trespassing.”

He quirked one eyebrow, the challenge clear. Then he looked pointedly at my chest again.

I crossed my arms. “My mother is married to the owner of this ranch.”

His eyes widened. “Is she? How nice for you.”

“How long were you standing there getting an eyeful before you woke me?” I asked. I was about two seconds from punching this asshole in his pretty face.

“Oh, I don’t know,” he answered with a slow drawl. “Ten minutes? Fifteen?”

“You bastard!” I exclaimed again. “I assume you work for my step-dad. I’m going to have you fired.” “You assume wrong, Chelsea,” he said.

Author Bio

Like you, I'm a reader. When I read a good story with characters I can connect with, my everyday existence fades into the background as I enter a world that may contain exotic locations, adventure and excitement. And, if I can be totally honest with you, in my favorite stories I can fall in love for a while with an impossibly gorgeous guy who is the best lover imaginable.

So, maybe it won't come as a surprise that in my books you'll find hot alpha male book-boyfriends, sassy heroines who are much more clever and beautiful than I am, and stories I hope will make you laugh and cry while reading them, as I did while writing them. Oh, and some scenes you may want to role-play with your lover.

Why not take a chance? All of my stories are perfect for a lunch-break escape, and priced less than a cup of coffee. In fact, if you subscribe to Kindle Unlimited, they won't cost you another dime, so take as many as you want! They're calorie-free, too!

If you'd like to know more about me, my books, or special offers for free reading, please check my website at www.jessajacobs.com. I’m also available on Facebook and Twitter.